20th summer festival at Bognor's Regis School of Music

The Regis School of Music is offering its 20th summer festival this year, promising a glittering array of talents.

Alexander Levtov, founder and director of the Regis School of Music, is delighted to reach the landmark anniversary.

And he is particularly pleased to be welcoming back one of the school’s former pupils, Imy Luc, to give one of the festival’s two key concerts.

The festival launch at the Regis School of Music will be a wine and cheese evening on Sunday, June 17 at 6pm. It will introduce the theme of this year’s festival, Frederic Chopin.

The festival will continue on Friday, June 22 at 10.30am with an illustrated talk on Chopin before, on Sunday, June 24 at 3pm, Imy gives the first of the festival’s recitals, offering a programme of Brahms and Chopin. The second recital, on Saturday, June 30 at 7.30pm, will be from the prize-winning Welsh pianist Luke Jones, with a programme of Brahms, Schubert and Chopin.

Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and July 1 sees the competitive element of the festival with classes for juniors and adults, singers and instrumentalists across a number of classes (also non-competitive).

Alexander said: “It is wonderful that this is our 20th festival. It is now the second or third generation of students that are coming along to have a platform to perform.

“We feel very proud but at the same time every year is a new dynamic, a new effort to bring in more artists and to think what we can do that is new. And we have been trying to combine music with graphical images, and it has proved very inspiritng.”

On Wendesday, July 4 at 7.30pm, the entertainment will be See What My Music Tells Me, a performance by young musicians illustrated by drawings and paintings which they have done, inspired by the music they are performing.

“We have asked everyone to make a drawing or painting and it will be projected onto the big screen while they are performing it.

“I think it makes the performers perform with much more insight into the music they are giving us. By showing the pictures they are showing a great deal of what happens inside them when they are thinking of the music. I think this is going to be quite special.

“The theme overall is Frederic Chopin and his contemporaries. We are coming to the lighter romantic era.”

As for the concerts: “Imy has learnt at our school since the age of six with (Alexander’s wife) Nina, and she went through Cheetham school and she is now at the Royal Northern College. She is somebody who took part in our festival as a youngster is now coming back as a performer. She has won several competitions but lately she won the Chopin prize at the Royal Northern College.

“Luke is originally from Scotland and is also studying at the Royal Northern College. He has been very successful in international competitions. For us he will be doing one of the most virtuosic pieces in the repertoire, Chopin’s set of studies. It is an incredible piece to do, and it is great to offer him this platform to share his music.”

The Festival Gala (concert, exhibition and awards ceremony) will be on Sunday, July 8 at 6pm.

More details 01243 866462 or recital@tiscali.co.uk. The school is 46 Sudley Road, Bognor Regis.